


Never Giving Up

by Hawkes_Beginning0



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 11:30:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5162282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkes_Beginning0/pseuds/Hawkes_Beginning0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teenage Hawke was known for being very headstrong, and since she was a mage, she believed in freedom. So what happens when one day she stumbles across a young Fenris (Leto), who was still a slave, and takes him in so Denarius wouldn't find him? Infatuated with him, she does everything she can to make sure he doesn't get kidnapped by the slavers again, and in the process before the darkspawn take over, teenage Anders does everything in his power to make sure the two of them don't fall in love.</p><p>So what happens when they all meet again in Kirkwall? Will old feelings rise, or new ones be created?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Giving Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I really wanted to do a short story of f!mage!hawke falling in love with Fenris while keeping him safe in her home. I also wanted to corporate a jealous teenage Anders as well, because he doesn't like a mage falling in love with a man who hates them. I know this is cliche and I know it doesn't really follow the actual game plot, but just pretend they all met in Ferelden.

_Ferelden was home to a lot of people back when Marian Hawke was young; she liked it like that. She felt like she had a lot more in common with people, especially people who looked down upon her for being a mage. Mages weren't that rare- her father taught her that when she was very young. Hawke's mother, Leandra, was proud of her mage husband and her three kids, (who were very stubborn and free willed). Malcolm Hawke, her husband, was excited to know when his wife was pregnant that their first born child was going to be a mage. He felt it through his veins, his blood, and his heart and soul._

_Not only did he get one mage, he got two. Marian Hawke and Bethany were both highly similar, but Bethany was a bit more kind and she often thought more about situations than Marian did. Hawke liked to speak her mind, even at a young age; so when her stubborn brother, Carver, (who wanted to be a Templar when he grew up), wanted to throw a fit, Hawke never gave into him. Their family was small and rather modest, but they knew that one day, the oldest daughter of the three kids was going to make a name for their family. Hawke was excited to have so much faith from her family, but at the same time, she felt like everyone expected her to know what to do to make it big in the world._

_Yet, Hawke wasn't going to complain. The mage enjoyed learning and exploring new things, even if it meant getting her hands a little dirty._

 

* * *

 

It was a beautiful day, surprisingly, in the large city of Ferelden. There seemed to be no war, no rain or darkness- just sunshine and peace. People were walking out and about, buying things for the family or/and spending quality time with friends they haven't seen in awhile. For the Hawke's, they were resting inside their wooden shack like house, being entertained by how Bethany could somewhat form flames in the palm of her hands. Well, almost everyone was entertained. Carver's eyes burned with slight disgust when he watched her twin sister proudly perform magic in front of all of them. The 14 year old never praised Bethany for the talents that she was born with- he saw magic as an excuse to try and brag about how a person would never be normal with it.

Carver's older sister, Marian, especially got on his nerves when she showed off her 'magic tricks'. 

Their father, of course, was a very proud man. He loved his children, each one equally, but for Marian it meant a little more respect and honor. She was the oldest, she was going to be the first to carry on the mage bloodline. If anything were to happen to any of them, the Hawke family would die out; just like a lot of the families that grew up in Ferelden. Malcolm didn't want that for any of them, to feel like they were meant for nothing in the world they lived in. Leandra was the only one that wasn't a mage nor a templar; she existed to aid her family and the ones who needed her most.

Now, as Bethany had a large grin and showed off her flames that produced in her hands, their oldest sister shared the same sort of smile and reached out towards the younger mage, ruffling the other's bundle of thick black hair, "I'm proud of you, sister. Show that to father when he comes back in here, he'll love to see your process." Bethany grinned and nodded towards her sister's approval, and then she started reading a very old, large book that contained many spells. 

Hawke looked over at her brother, who looked like he was going to set a fuse. He flicked his cold pair of eyes towards her, raising a dark eyebrow and his arms crossed against his chest. The woman snorted lightly and got up, letting Bethany study her magic and she sat up on a chair from the from to strap on her boots, "What's with the attitude, brother? It seems like you're not nearly as pleased as I am about our sister becoming successful?"

Carver sneered towards his older sister and rolled his eyes, raising his hands and folded his legs as he sat on the floor, "She's a mage, just like yourself. I'm not one, I think that's basically obvious? You should be proud of a sibling that's just like you, afterall." 

Hawke stared at and her stare intensified as her attitude grew, and she rested her hands on her hips after she got her boots situated and stood up. She looked down upon her brother and huffed, and in the meantime, Bethany tried to ignore her very hot headed siblings and she hummed to herself awkwardly, flicking her fingers and having a spark show up. Carver glared up at his older sister, but on the inside he knew that she wasn't going to handle his sass.

"Brother, your attitude towards magic is getting  _very_ old, don't you think it's time to put on some big boy pants and learn to walk without an ego making your head bigger?" Hawke sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Carver's cheeks flushed and he angrily snarled, quickly getting up and leaned slightly over his tall sibling, who gave a challenging look right back into his dark eyes. Bethany whined and quickly got up too, putting her hands on both of their arms. Carver shook her hand off of him, while Hawke tried to restrain herself from punching her younger brother in the jaw. 

"Sister, please, it's okay. I know how Carver is, and I know he isn't like me. I get that- you don't have to defend me from something pointless." "Something pointless?! Bethany, you clearly don't understand that growing up without praise deteriorates you! How can you say this is pointless?! I'm sure that if Carver never got praise that he'd be begging...," 

Hawke paused and stared over her brother's face, before taking in a deep breath, and then sighed softly. Her face softened and his cheeks were still slightly flushed with anger, "Carver..."

"No, I don't want to hear it. You think Bethany has it rough because she's a mage, like  _you_? You're right, maybe I do want some more praise from mother and father. I'm not so concerned about hearing praise from my dear sister, who always takes the mage's side and likes to bring me down," Carver stated, and before Hawke could snap at him for making a ridiculous comment, he kept on going, "Don't deny that you favor Bethany more than I. I've come to terms with it, but one thing that I will NOT stand is that you are favored more by our parents than Bethany and I."

"I don't TRY to be favored more than you! Maker, you make me want to rip my own hair out! How many times do I have to say to you how much I love you? That even you being younger than me, that I like to hear praise from you as well! Bethany needs this- growing up as a mage is hard, even father-," "So you think that you have life rougher than I ever will?" Carver snapped at his sister, before shoving his finger in her chest, and she growled and stepped back, rubbing where he pushed her. The man took in deep, heavy breaths, and Bethany's eyes saddened, before she growled softly and pushed Carver away from Marian. In response, he stared at her in shock, and the younger sister curled her upper lip in an attempt to show how frustrated she was.

The younger mage curled her hands into fists, and then she pointed at Carver with one hand and the other rested on her hip, "Carver, I suggest you go and clear your head. I don't know what we did to make you dislike us so much, but sister is right; we need to praise one another. Mother raised us to believe we needed to work together to make it in life. Don't just throw away the idea that we don't need you just because we can snap our fingers together and start a fire. We NEED YOU, brother." 

Everyone became quiet after Bethany's speech, and as Malcolm, their father, came into the room with a large smile on his face and some armor he had modified in the spare room they had, Hawke ducked her head and took a step back from her younger siblings. Malcolm frowned suddenly and gently pressed his armor into the wooden table, staring at his children who seemed up to no good.

"Do I even have to ask what happened during the 5 bloody minutes I was gone doing something productive?" Malcolm grumbled, raising an eyebrow and he crossed his arms to his chest. Before Hawke could speak, Bethany grunted as Carver shoved past her, and then quickly ran out the door as soon as he opened it. Hawke's eyes widened, and she quickly looked back at her father before running towards the door. Bethany groaned and went to the other side of the door, watching Carver run away and soon, he was nowhere to be in sight. Hawke frowned and looked back at her father, her heart thumping against her chest with the feeling of doubt, and Malcolm sighed deeply,

"Let him cool off. Despite Carver throwing a tantrum, what did you two do to him?"

So, it was like that. Hawke realized it was more than being favored, but Carver had to be SPOILED to feel like he was wanted in the family. When things didn't go his way, the first thing he did was act upon his rash decisions; in this case, it was running away from a problem he didn't realize he created. The woman's jaw clenched at her fathers question, and then she dug her foot into the wooden floor. She shook her head before looking up at him with a stubborn glance, "We did nothing, it was simply him being a brat." 

Bethany stood there in silence and looked at their father with large, sad, innocent eyes. She sighed deeply, before shrugging and muttered, "He doesn't like it when I practice magic, he thinks it's wrong that we're praised for doing it." Her honesty made their father think for a moment, before walking over to the open door and gently closed it, sighing, and then he went and sat down at the table. He was glad Leandra was out walking with the neighbors, going apple picking instead of dealing with the fighting. 

"I understand Carver can be a bit rash, but-," "He's more than 'a bit' rash, father! Carver was insulting Bethany for what she is passionate about, don't you think-," Hawke tried to step in, but her father gave her a very cold, chilling look that made her stop in her tracks, and she swallowed the lump that she was forming in her throat. Her father continued on talking, 

"Your brother is your brother till the end of time. Siblings are difficult, but as the oldest, YOU should've handled the situation properly and shouldn't had allowed him to run off like that. Do I make myself clear?"

The two girls stared at each other, before Hawke breathed deeply through her knows and her hands clenched into fists, "Fine, I understand." The woman walked off, silently excusing herself, and she headed into the room she shared with her two other siblings. She sat on her bed and put her head into her hands, gripping her medium length hair lightly before closing her eyes. Carver started a lot of unnecessary drama that could've been avoided if he just would've gotten along with Bethany and her. It didn't make sense, they didn't DO anything to him to make the stubbornness so unbearable to deal with. 

There was a soft knock at the door, and she peeked through her bangs to see Bethany standing in the doorway. She smiled weakly down upon her older sister, before stepping inside and fidgeted with her skirt. "You have a visitor; lucky you, you actually get to leave this house." Bethany looked over her shoulder, and Hawke's eyes brightened as she saw the familiar patch of orange hair. 

Anders.

The 17 year old male smiled brightly, rubbing his slightly toned arm as he looked over his best friend of 6 years. "I'm sorry if this was a bad time to come over, I just thought perhaps you would want to take a walk? Clear your head or something?" The man's gentle voice always had calmed Hawke's nerves, so she tried not to seem too excited when she nodded and got up from where she sat. She walked past Bethany, gently kissed her cheek, and then walked with the slightly taller male to the door. Hawke looked back at her father, who was carving into his wooden staff. He didn't look up, but simply waved his daughter and her friend off. Hawke smiled softly, and then led Anders out of their home.

Anders looked over her as they began to walk calmly down the alley way, looking around awkwardly, and both of them tried to find the right words to say. Hawke opened her lips, and then bit onto her bottom one. Anders laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, glad he didn't have his staff on him, "So, I saw Carver running near the docks... Another argument I presume?" 

Hawke groaned and rubbed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before letting it out. She slapped her hands down to her sides and nodded, looking over Anders and his soft, golden eyes, "Yes; Maker, I don't know what I'm going to do with him. Even being in the same room makes me want to throw a punch at him." Anders laughed and pat Hawke's back, rubbing it afterwards in a tender way.

"Is it weird to say that I'm glad you told him off? Or, that's what I presumed you did? He didn't seem to happy when he was running away." 

Hawke snorted lightly and shrugged, "No, I'm happy I did. Bethany didn't deserve the treatment she was receiving from Carver." Anders made a face and frowned, crossing his arms as he stopped walking. The woman looked at him questionably, before she stopped walking too. 

"So, it was about you both being mages? AGAIN? Maker, how many times is he going to pull the 'I'm a wannabe Templar, so I deserve to be noticed too," bullshit card? He's different, so what? That doesn't make him any less loved," Anders sighed and leaned against the alleyway wall, resting his head back against it and he shook it as well in disappointment. Hawke's jaw clenched and unclenched again and again, before she gently kicked the wall and leaned her side up against it. Playing with her finger tips, she said, 

"He's a stubborn brat who doesn't get his way. We all grew up learning how to cheer on the underdog, so the least he could do is support us being mages. ALL of us. What are you going to do when he actually does become a Templar, or hell, even turn you guys in?! I can't let that happen-,"

"It's not GOING to happen, Anders. You make yourself worry to much. I don't think he's that low of a person, I think his bark is worse than his bite... Come on, the sun is setting, we can go by the docks and enjoy a little peace and quiet for once." Hawke grinned, not waiting for Ander's response and she took his hand, gripped it, and dragged him along through some market places, until finally they reached the docks. Anders whined slightly, allowing the woman to drag him along, but he gently pulled away from her grip once they reached their destination.

"I'm serious, Hawke. I don't think I'd be able to control myself if anything did happen to you. I don't want you getting sent to the Circle or something, that's not where you belong." Anders whispered softly, gently tugging down his shirt sleeves, feeling a slight draft. Hawke frowned softly and stood along the Dock edge, watching the sunset with him, and she shuddered slightly when she felt a cool breeze hit her face. She looked over at him with narrowed eyes, and her facial expression seemed highly determined, 

"Then where DO I belong, Anders? I don't belong here, I never did. I need to make a name for myself- for my FAMILY, and I can't do that when I trapped in a place such as Ferelden," The woman paused, before she raised her hand out and watched a soft orange fist arise from the palm of her hand. She turned her hand, before closing her fist, and flames swallowed it whole, yet she felt no pain, "Maybe the Circle would be doing me a favor by getting me out of here."

Suddenly Hawke gasped, her eyes widened as she felt herself face being pulled in quickly. Her cheeks flushed as her blue eyes met Anders golden ones, but she could since that Justice wanted to fume from his soul to greet her out of desperation. Anders growled and pressed his forehead against hers, making her body tense up slightly, but to say she didn't enjoy it was a lie. She felt awkward-somewhat like she wasn't supposed to be that close to another mage. Anders hands cupped her face tenderly now, and roamed his thumbs against her flushed cheeks.

"You see, that's why I absolutely can't stand you," Hawke stared down at his lips as he began to talk, and her heart thumped heavily against her chest, "You don't understand what it's like to really lose something, and to feel regret until it's too late. You don't need to feel like that, Hawke- you just don't. I can't bare to lose you, so if you did go to the Circle, I would follow you. We both know you wouldn't want me doing that," "Anders...," "No, please..."

The two mages stood very close to each other in silence, and Hawke winced slightly and closed her eyes, feeling Anders breath gently roam along her lips. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, and she reached out and gripped his arm tightly with the hand that wasn't producing flames. Anders licked his lips and sighed, before running the tip of his nose along hers slightly. It made her shudder, and slightly gasp out of surprise. Anders found himself getting lost in her Mana, and he could vaguely feel the pulse of her fast beating heart, "Why are you so nervous?"

"You make me nervous." Hawke quickly responded, her voice cracking slightly, and she bit the inside of her cheek. She turned her head and took a deep breath, and it seemed like she wasn't breathing for a while. Anders watched her with narrowed eyes, and then he ran his fingers down her pale neck, making her look at him in surprise. He ran his fingers through her hair, and her bottom lip quivered as she allowed him to pull her in even closer, so that their chest were practically touching. 

"A-Anders, no-!," "Hawke, you can't tempt me like this- I am a man after all," Anders ran his fingertips over her lips, and in response she parted them ever so slightly. Her eyes fluttered close, and she shuddered, "A man that would be very lucky to have a mage such as yourself wrapped up in his arms all the time." As their lips parted and they lightly touched, Hawke began to feel herself vaguely lose track of what she was doing and where she was at. She was beginning to become intoxicated, wrapped around Ander's baby finger, but a sudden yell made her eyes snap back open and head into reality once more.

Hawke quickly stepped back, looking up at the sky as she realized it was now dark and the stars were shining, and she looked at Anders with a panicked expression, "Did you hear that?!" She hissed, trying to ignore the pained expression Anders had on his face, and her heart ached against her chest. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, realizing they almost kissed, and then she turned around and set her objective to finding who or what made that noise. Anders quickly hurried after the stubborn female mage, whose eyes were narrowed and lips were bitten in curiousness. Before she turned a corner, she gasped and Anders made a noise as he ran into her back. He rubbed his chin and looked over her head and around the corner, gasping as he saw the scene unfold before him.

 

"Slave, you are meant to come back and serve lord Denarius! You do not wish to upset him!" A deep voice rang out into the night, and it made Hawke's blood start to boil as she heard a struggled yell. She clenched onto the corner of the fall, trying not to let the magic stirring up in her show in anger. A slap was heard, another yell, and Anders had to grip her wrist to stop her from bursting out into action and hurting people she didn't even know.

"Fenris, we will take you back either heavily wounded, or slightly wounded. You pick. Either way, I've been waiting for this day to kick the shit out of you!" 

Those words made Hawke and Anders realize it wasn't just a normal conversation, it was a conversation between guards and a slave. It made Hawke's heart thump heavily against her chest, and her teeth grinded together in hopes she wouldn't yell at them. She whined and hung her head, her pulse on fire, and when she opened her eyes all she saw was red. She jumped away from the wall, ran into the open area, and she couldn't remember what Anders was screaming at her. 

Hawke remembered looking down at her hand, and having a ball of fire arise from it. She looked up and saw two large guards start to yell at her, pointing at her and walking over to her quickly. They reached out towards her, yet when she looked over at a terrified male figure, more so like an dark skinned elf, cowering in the corner of the open space; she completely lost it.

* * *

 

_'You are an impeccable FOOL to think that after all of this, I would simply just THANK YOU! You put me at even more risk!"_

_"You are the fool, ELF! She risked her life to make sure that yours was saved! You could've at least helped me a bit more when carrying back here!"_

_"I WAS helping you, you clearly let me drag all of her weight around with me! I'm the INJURED one," "You're the one who stubbornly insisted a fight with the guards who were trying to get you back to your 'master'!"_

_"I am NOT a SLAVE!"_

Hawke gasped and her eyes widened as she woke up from being unconscious; her head ached and her hand flew up to it to grip onto her hair in agony. She winced, head throbbing and she tried to the best of her ability to sit up from her bed. "H-How in the hell did I get back here? The Elf..." She whispered to herself, tenderly touching her head, and she groaned while stumbling to get up. She limped towards her door, opening it, and she saw blurred figures standing and arguing with one another. A gasp was heard, and someone rushed over to her, and Hawke presumed it was either her mother or Bethany. They helped her sit down in the living room, and suddenly Hawke could hear her father's strong voice break the arguing,

"You both should just SHUT UP! Maker's breath, collect your senses and break a part. Elf, I mean... Fenris? Sit, please. My wife can make you some tea. I understand you must still be panicked-," "I'm not panicked as I am ANGRY that you allow your daughter to be out with another MAGE at night, while the guards are on duty!" Fenris snapped back at Hawke's father stubbornly, who in return simply glared back at him, and he huffed and walked with his wife to help make tea. With Hawke's head in her hand, she tiredly peeked through her fingers to look over the Elf slave she had saved.

He was slim, slightly smaller than Anders was, and he had beautiful tan skin that matched his dark eyes. His hair was a dark chocolate brown, and his lips were slightly curled in frustration. His clothes were ripped and worn out, and he did definitely look the part of a slave. The man looked over quickly at the woman sitting down, his lip curled and he walked over to her. Hawke tried to look up at him, so her eyes squinted and she gripped her hair in pain, trying to focus.

"You are a fool for saving me. You made a quick, stupid decision by rescuing me against those guards. Now they're going to look for me, and while you and your family are mainly apostates anyway, they're going to find a reason to turn us ALL in!" The man stared down heavily upon Hawke's weakened figure, and she made a soft groan, before shaking her head in protest,

"They would've KILLED you, Fenris. Mage to slave, I know what it's like-," "NO, you DON'T know what it's like to be locked up in chains; chains so tight that they leave scars on your wrists. You DON'T know what it's like to run away from a problem just because of your race." Fenris snarled at her, his eyes darkening even more, and he growled and walked away from her, head in his hands. He shook his hands trying to find the words to say, and Anders stepped in with a frustrated look upon his own face, "Hawke saved you! WE saved you! You would've been dead if we hadn't come!" 

The Elf stared at the male mage in protest, and he huffed and turned his head away, chin up, "My master will find me, and when he does, he'll find you a great fortune just for so much looking at me. He's a protective man, he-," Fenris grew quiet, before he hugged himself and shuddered, "He doesn't like his pets going astray." 

The door suddenly slammed open, and everyone turned to look at Carver, who had a fishnet bag of fish, they supposed, he had caught during his tantrum. His eyes were wide and he dropped the fish, before looking over the angry elf slave, "Oh my-, MAKER; Now we're smuggling SLAVES?!" Hawke groaned, and so did everyone else, and Bethany rushed to Carver's aid to try and fill him in with what just happened, but he didn't want to hear it, so Malcolm was left screaming at Carver who tried his best to purposely piss everyone off. Leandra teared up, and she frowned and picked up the fish and hurried over to the counter, resting them along it. She looked over and stared at the elf, and then at her daughter, who stared up at Fenris like he was the most fascinating thing in the world.

_'Marian, you foolish girl... What have you done?'_


End file.
